UConn Women: UConn defeats Duke by 30, 79-49

Connecticut's Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis shoots during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Storrs, Conn., Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. Mosqueda-Lewis was top scorer for Connecticut with 21 points. Connecticut won 79-49. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

STORRS >> The home locker room inside Gampel Pavilion was not a happy place during halftime of the Martin Luther King Jr. nationally-televised clash of the women's basketball titans.

As the third-ranked Huskies did earlier this month in a loss to Notre Dame, the Huskies seemed out of sorts offensively heading into the halftime break. UConn's Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma voiced his displeasure in a rather intense fashion while his senior guard/forward quietly stewed.

When the locker room doors were opened and the Huskies charged onto the court, fourth-ranked and previously undefeated Duke simply never stood a chance.

With Faris playing arguably the best half of basketball in her collegiate career, UConn outmuscled and outhustled the Blue Devils en route to a 79-49 win before 9,671 on Monday night.

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When Faris checked out of the game for the final time with 1:36 remaining, Auriemma was waiting with an emotional bear hug and the UConn student section let loose with chants of "Kel-ly Far-is, Kel-ly Far-is."

After the game Auriemma but Faris' performance in the class of some of the best he has ever witnessed during his 28 years at the helm of the Huskies.

"What happened in the second half was indescribable," Auriemma said. "That is one of those occasions when you are watching it in the stands, you were on the bench, if you were part of what Kelly did tonight, you just saw a performance that people are going to be talking about for a long time. There have been some great players playing in this building, there have been some legends playing in this building but I don't think there has anybody who represented that uniform, herself and her family like that kid did tonight. That was one for the ages right there."

Faris' final numbers (18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists) do not fully capture the level she played at, especially in the second half.

Admitting to an empty feeling when UConn failed to close out Notre Dame, Faris was flying through the air grabbing rebounds, tipping away passes, making clutch shots all while shutting down Duke junior point guard Chelsea Gray.

"I think it was a lot of built up frustration from the last couple of games and practices," Faris said. "We have seen what we can do as a team when we all come together like that. Coach was pretty mad at halftime and I think it might have been as mad as he has been in a while. We were mad; we knew we were better than that. When we came out in the second half, when we bring the energy, we feed off of each other.

It was the scrappy fashion with which the Huskies won the game which delighted Faris.

"That makes it a lot of fun when it is more about the hustle plays, who is going to come up with the ball and who is going to do that?" Faris said. "When you do that and you are lying on the ground with the ball and you have four teammates come over and pick you up and they are all excited, you are like 'OK, let's go do it again.' That happened on almost every play no matter who was on the court, who dove for the ball, who got a tip on the ball, one of our players was constantly there to get the ball."

UConn came out with an aggressive mindset in the second half. That was never more evident than during back to back vicious rebounds. The first by Stewart resulted in Mosqueda-Lewis' fast-break layup. The second one ended up with Duke freshman Alexis Jones picking up her fourth foul. Mosqueda-Lewis also had a key strip of Jones which ended up with Stefanie Dolson hitting a fast-break layup.

The Huskies ability to get out in transition as well as stopping with the silly turnovers enabled UConn to blow the game open with a 22-5 run. Seven different Huskies scored during the run led by Dolson's six points

Hartley and Kiah Stokes were both able to play despite missing practice on Sunday. Hartley rolled her ankle multiple times in Saturday's win over Syracuse while Stokes didn't play against the Orange due to a stress reaction in her right shin.